"Home to thousands of U.S. sailors, the USS Alabama fought bravely in World War II, but after she finished her service, the battleship was set to be scrapped. The people of Alabama decided they had to save the mighty ship named for their proud state. No one was more determined than Alabama's schoolchildren. Instead of spending their allowance, children gave their pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters to save the battleship and they raised almost 100,000 dollars! Their great effort helped save the Mighty A, and secure her permanent home in Mobile Bay"--Amazon.com.
Follow Folly as he celebrates Mardi Gras in Alabama! Hang on tight; he wants to see every parade in Mobile and Baldwin counties. Folly has a front-row seat as he rides with kings and queens and tags along with Joe Cain. From catching throws with the crowd to joining in with the marching bands, Folly is a part of all the festivities. With bouncing rhyme and lively illustrations, author Karyn Tunks and illustrator Alexis Braud capture the unique flavor of Carnival season along Alabama's Gulf Coast. Highlighting the best of the local revelry, Folly brings young readers along as he explores favorite Mobile-area traditions. A glossary of people, places, and things completes the introduction to the most colorful season of the year. So come along and join the fun as we celebrate Mardi Gras in Alabama in this informative picture book for locals--and those who wish they were!
Twelve-year-old Daniel MacRae is spending the summer in the coastal town of Bay Haven with a father he barely knows. The threat of an approaching hurricane on the day of his arrival is the first sign his help is needed at Hi-Tide Cabins, the quaint waterfront property owned by his family for generations. While his father spends much of his time entangled in legal battles, Daniel, along with a no-nonsense handywoman and her outspoken daughter, keeps the cabins operating through the peak tourist season. But when Daniel makes an odd discovery along a stretch of private beach, he learns that things are not always as they appear. Just beyond the "No Trespassing" sign are piles of trash and marine debris, most of it made from indestructible plastic. Unable to ignore it, he begins a one-person clean up effort which leads to an improbable friendship and the discovery of a new talent; upcycling trash into art. Nervous about people's reaction to his newfound passion, Daniel is determined to keep his trash-to-treasure artwork a secret. But when he comes face-to-face with the ugly truths of beach pollution and impending harm for the town of Bay Haven, he takes a risk. In the end, Daniel learns that some secrets aren't meant to be kept.
